Since Gruph is no longer here to manage his thread, I am making a new one. The basic idea is this: if members are just posting junk, trolling, or otherwise being nothing but an annoyance, boycott them. It's a more fair alternative to banning. Just sign your name here, and say the person you are boycotting, and you will be added to a list. Very simple.

In lieu of Zazaban's proposal getting off the ground (who knows if the admins are alive or dead?), I propose that we all agree to add annoying members to our "Foes" list.

If you'd like to show solidarity with those of us who've had enough of these problem members, then please go to your "User Control Panel" (upper right, under the search box), then click "Friends & Foes" (on the left), then "Manage foes" and add the following names (without the quotes):

The aim of this boycott is to emulate a shunning, which would be the most likely means of dealing with problematic members of an anarchist community. They'd still be allowed to exist, of course, but the community would treat them as unwelcome, as long as they continued their unwelcome behavior.

If boycotted members get lonely and decide to take discussions seriously, then they can create a new thread with a title alluding to their change of heart (we who've ignored them will still be able to see those threads), and be removed from our "Foes" list.

In order for this to work, it requires solidarity, as with a strike. So even if you don't find these members to be particularly annoying, your support is needed to help make the forum less unpleasant for those of us who do.

So far, the following members have shown solidarity and are giving our problem members something to think about (please post if you decide to participate, and your name will be added to this list):

- AndyMalroes

- Patrickhenry

- Zazaban

"I am but too conscious of the fact that we are born in an age when only the dull are treated seriously, and I live in terror of not being misunderstood."~ Oscar Wilde"Greed in its fullest sense is the only possible basis of communist society."~ The Right to Be Greedy

I think you should copy Gruph's OP and change it a bit to reflect the open-ended nature of this one.

P.S Is open-ended the right word to use there?

How long do you think we can have a free and democratic society if we insist on maintaining totalitarian systems in our companies? We must have freedom for individuals and organizations to grow and to realize their potentials. (Delmar Landen, Head of Organisational Development at General Motors, 1981)

Howard, you're not thinking, you're just citing famous people's thinking and declaring them to be right.

"I am but too conscious of the fact that we are born in an age when only the dull are treated seriously, and I live in terror of not being misunderstood."~ Oscar Wilde"Greed in its fullest sense is the only possible basis of communist society."~ The Right to Be Greedy

Okay, since Andy has broken the boycott, I am removing him from the list now.

"I am but too conscious of the fact that we are born in an age when only the dull are treated seriously, and I live in terror of not being misunderstood."~ Oscar Wilde"Greed in its fullest sense is the only possible basis of communist society."~ The Right to Be Greedy

How long do you think we can have a free and democratic society if we insist on maintaining totalitarian systems in our companies? We must have freedom for individuals and organizations to grow and to realize their potentials. (Delmar Landen, Head of Organisational Development at General Motors, 1981)

Zazaban wrote:Howard, you're not thinking, you're just citing famous people's thinking and declaring them to be right.

No, I'm declaring them to be right based on my own use of reason, evaluating their arguments. Please don't insult my intelligence.

But the point is that you seem to think that everybody has to agree with you.

"I am but too conscious of the fact that we are born in an age when only the dull are treated seriously, and I live in terror of not being misunderstood."~ Oscar Wilde"Greed in its fullest sense is the only possible basis of communist society."~ The Right to Be Greedy

How long do you think we can have a free and democratic society if we insist on maintaining totalitarian systems in our companies? We must have freedom for individuals and organizations to grow and to realize their potentials. (Delmar Landen, Head of Organisational Development at General Motors, 1981)

Can someone else join it, it's really hard when there's a conversation with him and you're boycotting.

How long do you think we can have a free and democratic society if we insist on maintaining totalitarian systems in our companies? We must have freedom for individuals and organizations to grow and to realize their potentials. (Delmar Landen, Head of Organisational Development at General Motors, 1981)

Howard509 wrote:No, I'm declaring them to be right based on my own use of reason, evaluating their arguments. Please don't insult my intelligence.

But the point is that you seem to think that everybody has to agree with you.

If you've fairly evaluated the same arguments and arrived at a different conclusion, I can respect that.

Okay, this is progress. Thank you. But you seem to assume by default that the people you're arguing with are not fairly evaluating your arguments, so you simply restate them over, and over, and over again. It's really quite infuriating. You don't make any attempt to understand the other viewpoint, nothing, you just make the same statement again and again as though that'll make people agree with it.

"I am but too conscious of the fact that we are born in an age when only the dull are treated seriously, and I live in terror of not being misunderstood."~ Oscar Wilde"Greed in its fullest sense is the only possible basis of communist society."~ The Right to Be Greedy

But that is very unclear. You outwardly seem to have a condescending view of other people on this forum.

By the way, this is really, really, really not a good thread to talk about this.

"I am but too conscious of the fact that we are born in an age when only the dull are treated seriously, and I live in terror of not being misunderstood."~ Oscar Wilde"Greed in its fullest sense is the only possible basis of communist society."~ The Right to Be Greedy